Beauty Within
by sofia313
Summary: In order to humiliate his brother, King Robert marries Shireen Baratheon off to Ned Stark's bastard. Jon Snow isn't any more pleased than Stannis Baratheon until he meets his betrothed for the first time.
1. Chapter 1

**This is one shot for now, set before season 1.**

* * *

Stannis Baratheon had always been a dour man who didn't show his thoughts or feelings. That however didn't mean that he wouldn't have feelings. He was a father and he loved his only daughter dearly. Her appearance made no difference to him and unlike many people thought, he wasn't ashamed of her. He had kept her hidden because he had wanted to protect her from the cruelty of the world. She was a kind and gentle soul; he never wanted her to suffer.

Right now he wanted nothing more than to take her back to Dragonstone where she would be safe. Instead they were on their way to Winterfell. All because of the whims of his drunkard brother. Robert had thought that Stannis had become too arrogant and of course he had wanted to demonstrate his power. Stannis would never forgive him for this. Giving his daughter to a bastard…

Shireen was only 15 and she had spent her whole life in Dragonstone. Selyse hadn't really cared when Stannis had told her the news. To his wife, their daughter was nothing more than a constant reminder of her failure. She hadn't been able to give him sons, only one sick daughter. Of course Stannis had hoped for a son, but that didn't mean he wouldn't love his daughter. Shireen didn't deserve this. Stannis would have given anything if he could have saved her from this fate.

* * *

"I heard that she's hideous," Theon Greyjoy said, clearly enjoying this. "Disfigured."

Jon pretended that he didn't hear anything and continued shooting arrows at the target. Usually he never missed, but now he couldn't concentrate. He didn't want to get married, he wasn't ready. This felt nothing but unfair, he had never even met Shireen Baratheon. All he knew that she was King Robert's niece and, as Theon had so kindly pointed out, she was somehow disfigured.

"I slept with this whore once who had only one breast," Theon continued. "It was something new. Think of this positively, Snow, you can try something different…"

"Alright, that's enough, Theon," Robb huffed.

"Come on, I was just teasing him," Theon protested. "I'm sure his bride is lovely."

Jon still didn't say anything, but he felt the need to punch Theon on the face.

"Never mind him," Robb said when they were alone.

"Why me?" Jon muttered. "I mean, she's royalty and I'm a bastard. Shouldn't she marry you?"

"King wanted it to be you," Robb reminded him. "Father suspects that Stannis has somehow angered his brother."

"And this is King Robert's way to get back at him?"

"Something like that, yes."

Jon sighed and shook his head.

"I don't want this, Robb."

"I know, brother."

"What if I can't stand her?"

Robb was quiet for a brief moment before replying.

"Arranged marriages can be complicated sometimes, but I believe you will learn to at least tolerate her."

Tolerate her? That was what he had looking forward to? Once again he considered running away and riding to the Wall.

"Father is counting on you," Robb said, like he would have known what Jon was thinking. "This marriage is a good thing to our family."

Of course Jon knew that, but he also wanted to point out that he wasn't really a part of this family. He wasn't a Stark. He huffed in annoyance as he missed the target again. He really couldn't concentrate. What he wanted was to make his own decisions. Marrying Shireen Baratheon certainly wouldn't be one of them.

* * *

Shireen Baratheoan was very nervous as she arrived at Winterfell. She had never been away from Dragonstone before and she missed her tower. It had been her safe haven ever since she had been a child. Some people would have maybe called it a prison, but to her it had always been a place where she had felt safe. Safe from her mother's wrath and the mockery of others.

Now she was scared. The last thing she wanted was to bring her father shame. He had been more than tense their whole journey. She was afraid of what would happen now. Would people stare at her? Laugh at her? Would her betrothed be repulsed by her? She swallowed when the carriage door opened and her father gave her his hand. The courtyard was full of people and her first thought was to hide.

"Lord Stannis," someone greeted her father. "Welcome."

"Thank you, Lord Stark."

Shireen looked at this lord and smiled at him.

"And this must be your daughter."

"Yes," her father replied rigidly.

Lord Stark took her hand and kissed it.

"Nice to meet you, my lady."

"You too, my lord."

From the corner of her eye she noticed a young man who was staring at her. She smiled at him too. He continued staring at her until Lord Stark introduced him as his son.

"My lady," he murmured as he kissed her hand. He didn't turn his eyes away from her and she was starting to feel shy. But he didn't seem repulsed, more like…mesmerized. She couldn't quite understand it, but something about him made her feel safe. Like she would have known him her whole life. It was a strange feeling. She kept smiling and finally he smiled back at her. In that moment she believed that everything would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the feedback, I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this story. Shireen was one of my favorite characters and I hope I can write her as accurately as possible. For the sake of the story, I had to make her a little older.**

* * *

 **Part 2**

"What's wrong with her face?" Arya asked after Lady Shireen and her father had followed Ned and Catelyn inside. Jon was still standing in the courtyard with Robb and Theon.

"Don't be rude," Sansa scolded.

"I'm not!" Arya protested. "I was just asking!"

"That was a rude thing to ask. Come along now, we need to get ready for the welcome feast."

Arya huffed and rolled her eyes, but she followed her sister.

"Why do I have to wear a dress, why can't I just…" she complained on her way.

"So…" Robb started after a very long silence. "She seems like a sweet girl."

"Yes, she does," Theon added, not bothering to hide his mischievous delight. "You are a very lucky man, Snow, I truly envy you."

"Theon," Robb warned.

"What, I mean it. Who could resist such a unique beauty?"

Slowly Jon looked at him and smiled.

"You know what Theon, for once I actually agree with you."

With that he turned around and marched away, leaving Robb and Theon staring after him. It was obvious that they had no idea what he thought of Lady Shireen. She truly was beautiful. When he had first seen her, he had been…relieved. Perhaps that was strange, but it was true. He wasn't sure what he had feared, but instead he had seen her, the girl who had the warmest and the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

When she had looked into his eyes, she hadn't tried to hide herself or pretend to be anything she wasn't. All he had seen was innocent curiosity. She had seemed almost trusting, like she would have genuinely believed that he was a good person, even though she knew nothing about him. He had to admit that she had managed to capture his attention completely. He wanted to get to know her. Thankfully they would have time for that before the wedding.

* * *

"How was your journey?" Ned asked after Lord Stannis had a wine goblet in his hand.

"It was long," he replied simply.

Stannis Baratheon had always been a man of few words and Ned respected that, but he wanted to at least try to have a polite conversation before they would get to the point.

"Yes, I am sure it was. I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable for your daughter."

"Shireen isn't a pampered noble girl," Stannis replied, a hint of pride clear in his voice. "She is modest and practical."

Ned didn't doubt that, since the girl had spent her whole life in Dragonstone. Stannis certainly wasn't an extravagant man and even though Ned had never been in Dragonstone himself, he had heard that it was a very ascetic place. Perhaps that wasn't a bad thing, at least the girl would likely adapt better than she would if she would have grown up in King's Landing.

"Well, we are all happy to have her here and I hope she will feel at home as soon as possible."

Stannis was quiet for a brief moment before replying.

"Lord Eddard… I believe we both know why my brother felt the need to arrange this marriage."

Ned wasn't sure how to reply, the situation wasn't pleasant for either of them. Robert was his friend and his king, but obviously Ned wasn't blind for his faults. He also respected Stannis as a soldier and as a man of honor. Not to mention Ned had two daughters, he imagined that he understood how unpleasant this was for Stannis. Shireen was his only child after all.

"Yes, I believe so too," he stated. "For what it's worth, my son is a good man; he would never mistreat your daughter."

"With all due respect, your son is a bastard," Stannis replied sharply.

"He has a title," Ned stated, keeping his tone of voice calm.

"Yes, but he is nonetheless a bastard and my daughter is the king's niece."

"I understand, but I did not ask Robert to do this."

"Well, I doubt that you asked him to undo this either," Stannis snapped tensely.

Ned crossed his arms, letting Stannis know that he didn't appreciate his tone. They were after all in Ned's house.

"I apologize," Stannis stated rigidly. "I trust that you can understand my concern as a father."

"Yes, of course."

Ned didn't add that Stannis seemed equally concerned about his own reputation than his daughter's wellbeing.

"Shireen is… a special girl," Stannis continued after a moment of silence.

"Yes, I can believe that. You and Lady Selyse have done wonderful work raising her."

Stannis almost smiled, but there was no joy in his smile.

"You could say that Shireen has mostly raised herself. I have not spent nearly enough time with her."

Ned nodded.

"I understand what you mean. Children grow up so quickly."

Stannis sighed and looked at Ned.

"I have always respected you, Lord Eddard and there is something I would like to ask you to do for me and my daughter."

"Certainly, if I can."

"Give your son your name. Do not let my brother humiliate me and my daughter by forcing her to marry a bastard."

Ned was speechless for a moment, although he felt that he should have guessed this.

"Lord Stannis…"

"I do not think that I am asking much," Stannis cut in sharply. "I will not allow my daughter to become Snow. She has already suffered enough."

"What you are asking is not that simple…"

"It is to me. If you do this for me, you will have my gratitude and friendship; I will repay you very generously. However, if you wish to disgrace my daughter… Then I am afraid we will have a problem."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Catelyn Stark stared at her husband disbelievingly. She was hurt and outraged.

"No."

"I…" Ned tried to say.

"No. Tell me that was what you said to Stannis Baratheon."

Ned looked distressed and a part of Catelyn felt the need to comfort him. A bigger part however could only think about how Ned had humiliated her. Betrayed her. Forced her to tolerate some other woman's child. Catelyn Stark considered herself as a good wife and mother, but she had never managed to completely suppress her bitterness toward Jon Snow.

Of course she knew that a child couldn't choose his parents and it was wrong of her to resent the boy, but she couldn't help it. Almost every time she saw the boy, she thought about her husband's betrayal. She had never asked anything about Jon's mother, there was nothing she wanted to know. That wasn't really true, but she would never admit it.

Of course she had sometimes wondered what this woman had looked like and what had been so special about her that Ned had broken his vows. Not that it mattered, what was done was done. That was what Catelyn tried to convince to herself. Her children had accepted Jon as their brother, but she just couldn't accept him. She had felt guilty because of that many times and she had really tried, but… She just couldn't. Perhaps that made her a bad person, she didn't really know. All she knew was that she had most definitely reached her limit.

"Cat, please listen to me…" Ned started.

"No, Ned," she cut in coolly. "You will listen to me now. If you love me, if you have ever loved me, you won't even think about giving him your name. If you humiliate me like that, I swear, I will _never_ forgive you. Never."

She turned around and stormed out before Ned managed to reply. She was so angry that her hands were shaking. Angry at Ned, angry at Stannis Baratheon, angry at King Robert for arranging the whole thing, angry at Jon Snow's mother, angry at Jon Snow, but most of all angry at herself. Why couldn't she get past this? Well, maybe she could have if she wouldn't have to live under the same roof with her husband's bastard.

None of her children were married yet; Robb should have gotten married before Jon. He was Ned's oldest son and his heir. Now Jon was getting married and soon his wife would give Ned his first grandchild… The thought was driving Catelyn mad, she couldn't deny that. On the other hand she was glad that Robert hadn't chosen to use Robb in his ridiculous power game.

Officially Robert had wanted to "create a stronger alliance" with the north. If that would have really been true, he would have married Shireen off to Robb. Instead he had chosen Jon, his old friend's bastard son. The message he had wanted to send to his brother was very clear; he was the king and he had the power.

The truth was that despite of the Baratheon name, Shireen wasn't the most wanted bride and not just because of her appearance. Sure Stannis had some wealth and influence, but not enough to attract the most powerful Houses. Still this was nothing more than a humiliation to Stannis. Maybe so, but Catelyn wasn't going to let her husband to humiliate her any more.

"Mother?" Sansa's voice called. "Could you tell me your opinion about my dress?"

Catelyn smiled, all her tension disappeared immediately.

"Yes, of course. I will be right there."

Catelyn was grateful for the distraction; she needed a moment to calm down. The feast would start soon and obviously she needed to be a good hostess. After that she would have to start arranging wedding for her husband's bastard son. And as for her husband… He would have to find himself some other place to sleep tonight.

* * *

Shireen looked at her reflection in the mirror and tilted her head. She wasn't sure what to think, the dress felt very foreign. Back home she usually wore much more modest dresses, but her father had have few new ones made for her before their journey. He had wanted her to have suitable dresses for formal occasions. The thought made her quite nervous; she had never really participated in any kind of "formal occasions".

Usually she has had all her meals alone in her tower. Sometimes she had dined with her father, but there had been just the two of them. Her mother had never joined them nor come to Shireen's tower. Not that Shireen had really missed Lady Selyse's company; she had always been more or less afraid of her mother.

Lady Selyse had often said that Shireen needed to stay out of sight; she was a disgrace to her parents. There was no doubt that her mother was ashamed of her. Sometimes she had shouted that Shireen didn't deserve to live when her brothers were dead. Why hadn't gods taken Shireen instead of Selyse's poor sons? Shireen had heard those things as long as she could remember, but they still hurt.

She had tried her best to avoid her mother. Her father had been away a lot, but he had always been kind to her. She loved him very much and she would miss him. A knock on the door made her to look up. She smiled as she saw her father.

"Well…" Stannis started. "You look beautiful, my dear."

"Really?"

"Yes, absolutely. Just like a princess."

Her smile grew even wider; her father didn't compliment her very often.

"Thank you, father."

Stannis tried to smile as well, but it didn't come very natural to him. He walked over to Shireen and touched her long hair.

"What did you think about him?" he asked. "Your….betrothed."

"He seemed nice," Shireen replied. "He has kind eyes. Just like you."

Stannis didn't seem pleased by her words.

"Like me?"

"Yes, father," Shireen replied smiling. "You have very kind eyes."

Stannis cleared his throat.

"Thank you. I want you to know that I will stay right here as long as I have to and if he says or does anything that makes you feel unpleasant… I want you to come to me immediately. Agreed?"

Shireen looked at her father warmly before kissing his cheek.

"Agreed."

"Good." Stannis paused and sighed. "Alright, I suppose we need to go." He paused again and offered her his arm. "Shall we, princess?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

Jon bit his bottom lip nervously. The hall was full of people who were eating, drinking, laughing and talking. The musicians were playing and everyone seemed cheerful. Well, almost everyone. Jon had noticed the tension on his father's face as soon as he had arrived. Both Ned and Catelyn were smiling and socializing with their guests, but Jon could tell that they have had a fight. About him. Perhaps about the wedding arrangements or something like that.

Jon had always felt guilty for causing his father trouble. Ned had always been a good father to him and done much more for him than most men would do for their bastards. Jon didn't blame Catelyn for resenting him and he had tried his best to stay out of her way. He wondered how that would work out after the wedding. Obviously the best answer would be for him to leave, but where could he go? To Dragonstone?

Somehow he doubted that Stannis would want him there. Jon most likely wasn't the husband Stannis had hoped for his daughter. Ned had assured that Winterfell was Jon's home; he and his wife were welcome to stay right here. Would Lady Shireen want to stay here? Jon swallowed as he thought about her. First things first, they weren't even married yet. He hadn't even had a conversation with her yet.

Suddenly he noticed that the musicians had stopped playing. Stannis Baratheon had just entered the hall arm in arm with his daughter. She was wearing a light pink gown and most of her brown hair was down. She seemed nervous when everyone in the room was suddenly looking at her, but she still managed to smile.

Stannis on the other hand looked tense and he glanced at the crowd almost warningly, like he would have expected them to mock his daughter. She hadn't tried to hide her face and Jon didn't see any reason why she should. Perhaps most men wouldn't have called her outstandingly beautiful, but Jon found her intriguing. He could have continued looking at her for a long time. He liked what he was seeing.

"Lord Stannis," Ned greeted their guest. "Lady Shireen, you look lovely tonight."

"Thank you, my lord," she replied. "You look lovely as well."

Ned seemed stunned for a brief moment and Jon hid his smile behind his hand.

"Thank you, my lady," Ned managed to say. "That's…always nice to hear."

Shireen smiled, making Jon again to reach the conclusion that she most definitely had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. There was simply something so genuine about it. Catelyn also greeted their guests before Ned led them to his table, joining Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon, Jon, Theon and few lords and ladies. Stannis' seat was next to Ned's and Shireen's next to Jon's. Everyone stood up to greet the guests.

"Lady Shireen," Robb said politely.

She greeted him before looking at Jon.

"My lord," she said smiling and curtsied.

Much to his horror, he couldn't do anything except stare at her with his mouth open.

"My pretty," he finally blurted out. "My lady!" he corrected as quickly as he could. "My lady. My pretty lady. No, I mean…" His face was turning red when he finally managed to bow. "Lady Shireen."

She looked at him in wonder for a moment before smiling at him. There was an awkward silence and Jon was too embarrassed to notice that Robb was trying to tell him something by cocking his head towards her chair.

"Jon? Perhaps the lady would like to take a seat?"

Thankfully that snapped him out of it; quickly he pulled out the chair for her.

"Thank you, my lord," she said.

"You are welcome," he murmured.

This was certainly going well; he didn't want to see how many people were probably laughing at him. At least the musicians had started to play again, so everyone weren't staring at him and Shireen.

"I apologize," he murmured after a moment of silence.

"Why?" she asked.

"For embarrassing you, I didn't mean…"

"You didn't embarrass me, my lord," she assured. "I'm the one who should apologize."

His eyes widened and he finally managed to look at her.

"What, why?"

She blinked few times before replying.

"The chair thing. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, but I certainly didn't want to embarrass you."

"You didn't, believe me. I'm more than capable of doing that all by myself."

She smiled.

"And I am more than capable of taking a seat all by myself; you don't have to worry about that."

He smiled too.

"Are you implying that I don't have enough manners to assist a lady?"

"No, not at all. I am saying that I require very little assistance. I have got used to do things by myself."

"I see. Hopefully I won't be completely useless to you then."

"I'm sure you won't be, my lord."

She paused and thanked a servant girl who was pouring her some wine. Jon noticed that she looked the girl in the eyes and smiled. That was something he admired after meeting so many arrogant noblewomen. Shireen wasn't arrogant and Jon doubted that she had a malicious bone in her body.

"So, what do you think about Winterfell, my lady?" he asked.

"I think this is a beautiful place," she replied. "Very different than Dragonstone."

"Yes, I'm sure that's true. Have you traveled a lot?"

She shook her head.

"No, I have lived my whole life in Dragonstone, this is the first time I have traveled anywhere."

"Oh…"

"But I have read many books," she added. "So in a way I have traveled in many places."

He couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I have never been much of a reader myself."

"But you can read, my lord?"

"Yes, of course, I just… To be honest, learning how to read and write was something I was forced to do, but I never really enjoyed it."

Shireen looked at him curiously.

"What kind of books did you read?"

"Boring ones," he replied. "You know, family history, a lot of names, dates, titles and so on."

"That's your problem," she announced. "You have read wrong books."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Really? May I ask what books I should have read?"

She smiled.

"I would be more than happy to show you, I have some of my favorite books in my chamber."

"I'm eager to see them."

She thanked the servant girl again as the dinner was served.

"What kind of things do you enjoy, my lord?" she continued. "Since you mentioned that you didn't enjoy learning how to read and write."

"Well, I enjoy hunting. Riding. Spending time outdoors."

"I see. There's certainly a lot of outdoors here."

"Yes," he replied smiling. "How about you? Do you enjoy spending time outdoors?"

She hesitated before replying, he saw a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

"I… I do, but… It's not always possible."

"Why not?"

She tried to smile, but she didn't look at him.

"I don't wish to bring anyone shame," she said quietly.

He was about to ask what she meant, but then he understood and glanced at her father. Was he embarrassed by her? Hadn't she been allowed to go outside?

"My lady," he stated as calmly as he could. "I want you to know that after the wedding things will be…different."

She looked at him cautiously.

"What do you mean, my lord?"

He smiled and touched her hand.

"When you are mine, we can go anywhere you want. I will be proud to call you my lady and I will cut off the tongue of any man who dares to disrespect you."

She blinked rapidly few times; a flush was rising in her cheeks.

"My lady, I apologize if I…"

"No," she said quickly. "No. I… I wish I can be worthy of you, my lord."

"What? You already are."

He only hoped that _he_ could be worthy of _her_. And he had meant what he had said; he would be more than proud to call her his lady.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

"Brother," Renly Baratheon stated tensely.

King Robert concentrated on his wine goblet; he didn't bother to look at his younger brother. They were alone, so Robert didn't care how Renly addressed him. He heard enough "Your Grace this" and "Your Grace that" anyhow.

"I am not going to change my mind, Renly," he stated. "You will travel to North as soon as possible."

"Surely there would be someone more suitable, you know I haven't…"

"Our dear niece is getting married," Robert cut in, already bored with this conversation. "I want you to attend the wedding on behalf of our family."

Renly pressed his lips together, looking more and more displeased.

"May I ask why?"

"What do you mean why?" Robert snorted. "Stannis is our brother."

Renly hesitated, trying to find the right words. Robert could easily see what he was thinking. After giving Stannis' only daughter to a bastard, why would Robert want anyone in their family to attend the wedding? Well, he had his reasons and he didn't see fit to share them with his little brother. He was the king after all; he didn't have to explain himself to anyone.

"Everything has already been arranged," he huffed carelessly. "Kingslayer will accompany you."

"Jaime Lannister? Why?"

"He is an excellent swordsman; he will keep you safe during your journey. And he will represent his House at the wedding."

Not to mention sending him to the North would most certainly irritate Robert's beloved queen, but that was only one of the perks of this arrangement. Robert didn't like his wife's brother, he never had. Not that he was particularly fond of his wife either. There had been only one woman Robert had ever loved and she had been cruelly taken from him. The truth was that he would have given anything, including his throne, if he could have had his Lyanna back.

"I doubt that Stannis will be happy to see me," Renly stated.

Robert smiled; he found the whole thing amusing. Stannis was a good soldier, but he had never been fun company. And that wife of his… Lovely woman. Robert hadn't met their daughter, but he had heard about her scars. That was the reason why he hadn't given her to Ned's other sons. Two of them were too young anyway and of course he wouldn't have given her to Ned's heir.

His bastard son on the other hand… Robert was doing him and Ned a favor. Ned was one the most honorable men Robert had ever met and he had seen how guilty his friend had felt for betraying his wife. Now Ned wouldn't have to worry about his bastard's future anymore and Stannis would learn a valuable lesson.

"The girl… How old is she now?" Robert asked as the matter suddenly crossed his mind.

"If I am not mistaken, she will soon celebrate her 16th nameday," Renly replied.

"Hmm. Stannis should be grateful then. I doubt that there have been many suitors." He paused and glanced at his brother. "I have a very special wedding gift for them; I want you to deliver it."

Renly didn't seem pleased, but he nodded.

"Of course, brother."

Robert smiled and poured himself some more wine.

"Here's to the happy couple. Let us hope they will enjoy their marriage more than the rest of us."

* * *

"How long will you be away?" Cersei asked tensely.

Jaime shook his head.

"I don't know, the king didn't say."

Cersei gritted her teeth; there was no doubt that Robert had done this on purpose. Drunk bastard…

"You are a member of the Kingsguard…"

"Yes, and the king ordered me to protect his brother," Jaime sighed. "You know I have no choice but to obey."

Yes, Cersei knew that, but she was still furious. She needed Jaime here by her side. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do to stop him from leaving. If she would go to Robert and demand him to send someone else, he would laugh at her.

"I don't want you to go," she murmured.

"I don't want to go, but I have no choice." He paused and touched her cheek. "I will be back before you know it."

She knew that, but she couldn't understand why anyone needed to go to this wedding. Stannis Baratheon's ugly daughter would marry Ned Stark's bastard son. There was nothing important about either of them, why would anyone even care about their wedding? This was another one of Robert's ridiculous whims; he only wanted to make Cersei miserable.

He had succeeded, but she had no intention to show that to him. She would do what she always did, concentrate on her children. Her and Jaime's children. If only her husband would know… Cersei couldn't deny that she enjoyed imagining Robert's face if he would know the truth. She had sometimes fantasized about whispering those words in his ear when he would lie on his dead bed.

His children would never inherit the throne, he had no legitimate heir. She was nothing but glad that Jaime was the father of her children, Robert could keep his whores and his bastards. There was no better revenge than seeing Joffrey becoming the king after Robert would die. A perfect ending for their miserable travesty of a marriage. Cersei had no idea what she would have done without Jaime. He needed to come back to her.

"Take care of yourself," she said quietly.

Jaime smirked, looking as handsomely arrogant as ever.

"I always do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

Ned felt exhausted as he bid good night to the last ones of his guests. Catelyn had already retired and Ned knew that he wasn't welcome to their bedchamber. Once again he felt a burden on his shoulders. The secret he had kept from his wife for all these years… He felt guilty, but he also knew that he had done the right thing. He had no doubt saved his sister's son. Ned had adored Lyanna and he still missed her. He had tried his best to raise her son, just like he had promised. He loved Jon just as much as he would love his own son.

Hopefully he was now doing the right thing by agreeing to this marriage. He wanted Jon to have a good life, but of course he would have liked to give him the opportunity to choose his own wife. However defying Robert's order would have raised many questions, especially when this marriage was so beneficial for Jon. A bastard marrying the king's niece… Only a fool would have refused.

Still Ned was struggling to decide what to do. He would have happily given Jon his name like Stannis had demanded, but he knew that Catelyn had meant what she had said, she would never forgive him. Ned loved his wife dearly and the last thing he would have wanted was to cause her grief. He could never forget the look in her eyes when he had brought Jon home and told her that the child was his. He had broken Catelyn's heart that day.

Somehow she had managed to forgive him, but she was a proud woman and he knew that she has had enough. She wouldn't tolerate any more humiliation. He needed to find some other solution. Then there was even more difficult question. Should he tell Jon the truth about his parents? It was clear that no one else could know, Jon's life would be in danger.

Even after all these years, Ned knew that Robert wouldn't hesitate to kill Jon if he would know who his real parents were. Ned had promised Lyanna that he would protect her son, but he didn't have much chance to protect him from the king. Of course he could only tell Jon, but should he? Would that really change anything? Would he take away Jon's chance for a happy life?

He would have to keep a secret from his wife, just like Ned had done for all these years. Should he really make Jon live with that burden? Ned really wasn't sure what to do. Tiredly he walked across the hallway, planning to go to his study and have a drink before asking a servant to prepare a guestroom for him. He stopped as he suddenly noticed Robb and Jon.

"Come on, tell me," Robb said. "What did you two talk about?"

"All kinds of things," Jon replied.

"And?"

Jon smiled.

"She's wonderful."

Robb smiled too and tapped Jon's shoulder.

"I'm happy for you. She seems very sweet and I think she will be a good wife for you."

"Yes, I just hope that I can be a good husband."

"Of course you can."

"I don't know, I…"

Jon didn't continue when he noticed Ned.

"Father."

Ned smiled at both of his sons.

"What are you boys doing?"

"We were just going to bed," Robb replied.

"I see. Jon, can I have a word with you first?"

"Yes, of course, father. Good night, Robb."

"Good night," Robb replied.

Ned waited until he and Jon were in the study before he spoke.

"I know you must be tired, but I wanted to ask what you thought about Lady Shireen."

"I like her," Jon replied. "She's kind and sweet."

"Yes, she is."

Ned paused, trying to choose his words right.

"Do you feel that she is…suitable for you?"

Jon seemed confused.

"Suitable?"

"Yes. It was never my intention to force you into marriage or choose your wife for you. I would like you to tell me honestly, do you want to marry her?"

Jon frowned.

"Why are you asking that, I thought that this was King Robert's order…"

"Yes, this was, but I would like to know how you feel. Do you think that you could be happy with her?"

Jon looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, I do."

Ned was relieved; the last thing he wanted was Jon to be miserable for the rest of his life. Arranged marriages were normal for noble families and Ned's own marriage had been arranged, but he had been lucky enough to have a wife like Catelyn. He loved her and he had been happy with her. Ned wasn't the kind of man who thought that appearance meant everything, but he was aware that Lady Shireen's scars would have bothered many men. He was more than proud to notice that Jon didn't seem to be one of those men. Lady Shireen had many good qualities; Ned had no doubt that she would be a good wife.

"I'm very happy to hear that," he said and put his hand on Jon's shoulder. "Is there anything I can help you with? Do you have some questions?"

Jon bit his bottom lip and hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Actually yes. Could you tell me how I should court her?"

Ned was surprised.

"What? You two are already engaged…"

"Yes, but I would like to get to know her. I… I want her to like me before the wedding. What is the appropriate way to court a lady like her?"

Ned couldn't help but smile, he truly was proud of Jon.

"Well… I would suggest some small but thoughtful gift. Something personal. Talking and especially listening to a woman is always a good thing. You can invite her to take a walk with you. Compliment her appearance, dress or maybe hair, and wear a cloak. That way you can offer it to her if she is cold."

"Great ideas, thank you father," Jon said. "You must know a lot about women."

"Not nearly enough, trust me," Ned chuckled. "Women are one of the greatest mysteries in the world; no man can ever understand them completely."

Jon smiled.

"It's a good thing then that I like challenges."


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

"Good morning, my lord."

Stannis had just stepped out of his bedchamber and he assumed that a servant was addressing him. Carelessly he looked up and saw Jon Snow. He wasn't pleased to see the boy, but he managed to keep his face free from emotion.

"Good morning," he stated tensely.

A silence followed his words, although the boy clearly had something to say. Stannis suppressed a sigh; he should at least try to be polite. For Shireen's sake.

"What can I do for you, Lord Jon?"

The boy seemed nervous, but at least he found his voice again.

"Well, I was wondering… I would like to ask your daughter to take a walk with me. If I have your permission, my lord."

Stannis had to admit that he was surprised.

"And why exactly do you feel that you need my permission? She is your betrothed."

"Yes, but you are her father and… I respect that."

Stannis looked at the boy for a moment before replying.

"How do you feel about marrying my daughter?"

Clearly his question surprised the boy and he expected to hear some pretty lies.

"I… To be honest, I wasn't planning to get married any time soon and I wasn't happy to hear about the king's order."

Well, at least the boy was honest.

"Why was that? This marriage will make you a very wealthy man, Lord Jon, what was the problem? My daughter's appearance?"

"No, I didn't feel ready for marriage."

"And you feel ready now?"

The boy hesitated before replying.

"I… I hope that I can be a good husband for your daughter."

"You didn't answer my question," Stannis pointed out. "Do you feel ready for marriage?"

Jon smiled.

"Well… The thought of sharing my life with someone still feels intimidating, I am not going to deny that. But I am glad that someone is going to be Lady Shireen."

Stannis observed him closely, looking for any sign of dishonesty.

"Why is that?"

Jon's eyes widened.

"Because you have a wonderful daughter, my lord. I have only spoken with her once and I can already tell how kind she is. I like her and I hope that she will like me."

"Do you find her beautiful?" Stannis asked sharply.

"I do," the boy replied calmly. "There is so much more to her than her scars."

"Like her dowry?" Stannis suggested dryly.

Jon frowned.

"With all due respect, my lord, this is my betrothed you speak of. It truly saddens me how you seem to belittle her and assume that I couldn't find her beautiful. She is beautiful and I intend to make sure that she knows that. After she becomes my wife, she won't have to listen to offensive words from anyone, not even from you, my lord. If you offend her honor in any way, you will have to deal with me."

For a moment Stannis was too stunned to reply. As far as he could tell, the boy seemed to mean what he said. He was actually protective of Shireen. Stannis found himself disliking the boy a little less.

"I love my daughter," he stated. "As you probably know, she is my only child."

Jon nodded.

"Yes, I know. And I understand I am not the husband you would have chosen for her, but I will try my hardest to look after her, I give you my word."

Stannis was quiet for a moment before speaking.

"And what if she cannot give you sons?"

"Then I shall love our daughters," the boy replied without hesitation.

Stannis almost smiled, he most certainly disliked the boy a little less now.

"Yes, you can ask her to take a walk with you."

Jon bowed briefly.

"Thank you, my lord."

* * *

"It's very beautiful here," Shireen said. She and Jon were walking behind the walls of Winterfell. Jon's direwolf Ghost was walking beside him, Shireen had never seen a direwolf before.

"Your wolf is cute," she added smiling.

Jon pretended to be shocked.

"Cute? My lady, you do know this is a direwolf you are talking about? He's not cute, he's a fierce beast, a furious predator and…"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence as Shireen got down on one knee, letting Ghost to sniff her hair. The wolf wagged his tail happily and licked her cheek.

"Really?" Jon huffed disapprovingly. "You call yourself a beast?"

The wolf glanced at him and continued licking Shireen's face. She laughed and petted him. Jon couldn't help but smile, obviously Ghost liked her. Well, he was a smart animal and a great judge of character.

"How long have you had him, my lord?" Shireen asked as she finally stood up.

"Ever since he was a pup," Jon replied. "We found six orphan pups, one for each Stark. And for me."

"Well, I still think he's cute."

"Yes, direwolves are beautiful animals. And loyal."

Shireen looked at Ghost curiously.

"I think he sees you as his pack, my lord."

Jon had never really thought about it like that.

"Hmm, that's probably true."

"I think so, wolves are very gregarious creatures."

"How do you know that?" Jon asked.

"I have read about them."

"Ah."

They walked silently for a moment before Jon continued.

"So, do you have any pets, my lady?"

"Yes, I had cats back home. They kept rats and mice away from my tower."

"Your tower?"

"That was where I lived," she explained.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"What about your mother and father?"

"They…have their own living quarters," she replied. "I didn't mind spending time by myself."

She was a terrible liar; he could easily see that she wasn't telling the truth. What kinds of parents would keep their daughter alone in a tower?

"How long did you live in this…tower?" he asked, managing to sound calm.

"My whole life," she replied. "Of course I had a nursemaid when I was a small child; she was a very sweet woman."

"What about your mother?"

Shireen tried to smile, but there was sadness in her smile.

"She was busy."

"Busy with what?" Jon asked, although he realized that he was out of line.

Shireen was quiet for a moment before replying.

"My mother hoped to give my father a son," she said quietly. "I was not what she hoped."

Jon felt anger; Shireen hadn't deserved to be treated like that.

"May I ask about your mother, my lord?" she continued, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"I'm afraid there is nothing I can tell you, I know nothing about her."

"Oh. Have you asked your father or haven't you wanted to know?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure."

Shireen nodded.

"I understand." She paused and shivered.

"Are you cold?" Jon asked.

"A little."

Quickly he removed his cloak, wrapping it around her. Thank you, father.

"Thank you, my lord," she said smiling and took his hand.

"Please, call me Jon."

"Alright, if you call me Shireen."

"Shireen…"

He liked how her name felt rolling over his tongue. She didn't let go of his hand as they continued walking. Her hand felt a little cold at first, but he managed to warm her up. She had a soft skin and he couldn't help but notice that she smelled very pleasant. He would have wanted to sniff her hair like Ghost had done.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said after a long, but not uncomfortable silence. "I have something for you."

They both stopped and she looked at him as he picked up a white flower.

"This is a winter rose," he explained. "I went riding this morning and found one."

She looked at the flower in wonder.

"For me?"

"Yes. I know it's not much, I just thought…"

"It's beautiful," she said. "Thank you, my lor… Jon."

He froze as she pushed up to her toes and kissed his cheek. Her smile was so warm that he felt himself blushing.

"You're welcome."


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

6 days later

"What are you doing, Snow?" Theon snorted.

"This is called reading," Jon replied, keeping his eyes on his book.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm just surprised that you can actually read."

Jon didn't bother to reply, he concentrated on the book. Shireen had given it to him and he had to admit that he had expected to be bored. He would have read the book either way in order to be able to talk about it with her, but surprisingly he had found himself enjoying it.

"Since when have you willingly read anything?" Theon continued.

"Since now."

"Oh, I see," Theon hummed smirking. "Does this have something to do with your little lady?"

"Yes, she gave me this book," Jon replied, he still wasn't looking at Theon.

"Oh Snow, Snow, Snow… Is she giving you orders already?"

Jon glanced at him and frowned.

"She didn't order me to do anything; I'm reading this book because I want to read it."

"Right, sure," Theon said mockingly. "Well, at least it's clear which one of you is in charge."

"I find that amusing coming from you," Jon replied. "You have to pay women for their company."

"Yeah, well at least my women are pleasant to look at, unlike your…"

Theon didn't have time to finish his sentence when Jon was on his feet.

"Watch it," he snarled. "One disrespectful word about Lady Shireen and the next thing coming out of your mouth will be your teeth."

"Yeah? I would like to see you try…"

"Alright, enough," Robb's voice said.

Jon glared at Theon who was smirking.

"Fine, I was getting bored anyway. Speaking of which, if I hear one more woman talking about Jaime Lannister, I'm going to punch someone."

"What about Jaime Lannister?" Jon asked.

"Haven't you heard? He is coming here with Renly Baratheon. That's all the women around here are talking about, even in the brothel. Can you believe that? They call him the handsomest man in all seven kingdoms."

Jon couldn't deny that seeing Theon so annoyed amused him.

"You don't think that's true?" he asked innocently.

"Of course not," Theon snorted. "Everyone knows how foolish women are."

"Yes, how dare they judge men based on their appearance."

"Exactly! It's natural for men to be attracted to beautiful women, everyone knows that! Normal men don't settle for just one woman."

"I have to disagree," Robb said. "I believe that one woman can be more than enough if you find the right woman."

Theon rolled his eyes.

"I doubt that." He paused and looked at Jon. "What do you think, Snow? Is your little lady enough for you?"

"Yes, she is," Jon replied coolly.

"Right. Good luck with that. At least you've practiced how to satisfy her, haven't you?"

Jon tensed; this was the last thing he wanted to talk about, especially with Theon.

"You went to see Ros, right?"

"Yes, I did," Jon replied, trying his best to sound calm. It was true that he had went to a brothel one time and paid Ros for her services, but he hadn't been able to have sex with her. All he had thought about was the possibility of fathering a bastard. No child deserved that.

"Nothing to worry about then," Theon huffed. "Besides, it doesn't really matter if you're terrible, how would she know? That's the beauty of virgins."

Jon really didn't like this conversation and he was glad when Theon left.

"What's the matter?" Robb asked.

"Nothing," Jon murmured.

"Come on, I can see that something is bothering you. Is it something that Theon said? Don't listen to him, you know…"

"Have you ever been with a woman?" Jon blurted out before he managed to stop himself.

Robb looked surprised, but he got over that quickly.

"Yes, I have. Why are you asking?"

Jon shrugged.

"I was just wondering… Did you know what to do or did you need to practice?"

"Well… The woman I was with was experienced, but I didn't really need much advice, it all felt very natural. Was it like that with you and Ros?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I just… I don't want to hurt Shireen."

"You know you will have to hurt her," Robb pointed out. "The first time is painful for a woman, but of course you can try to be as careful as you can."

"Yeah," Jon murmured. He hadn't really thought about this before, but now he was concerned. Of course he knew how to have sex, but would he be able to treat her gently enough. What if he wouldn't be able to control himself? How would he know where and how he should touch her? He really needed some advice, but from who? Should he ask Ros? It seemed that she could be subtle, obviously she hadn't told Theon that they hadn't have sex. He didn't think that asking her some questions would hurt.

* * *

"This is it?" Renly's voice said from the carriage. "I expected something…bigger."

Jaime didn't reply to that, he was glad that they were finally here. The journey had felt more than long and Renly had made it clear that he didn't enjoy traveling. Few more days and Jaime would have gagged him. They had few soldiers with them, but thankfully they hadn't run into any kind of trouble. Jaime observed Winterfell and patted his horse's head. They were riding towards the gates when he suddenly saw a young woman running towards the gates. Judging by her clothes, she was a noblewoman.

"Help me!" she shouted. "Help me!"

Jaime reached her before she reached the gates and quickly dismounted.

"What is wrong, my lady?" he asked.

Clearly she was upset, but he had got used to handling hysterical women. She was a pretty little redhead.

"My friend… She fell off her horse…"

"Alright, show me where she is," he said calmingly.

The girl hesitated, looking at him and Winterfell.

"My name is Ser Jaime Lannister," he said. "I am a member of the Kingsguard."

The girl's eyes widened, quickly she curtsied.

"Forgive me, Ser, I am Lady Sansa Stark."

Ah, Ned Stark's daughter. Jaime smiled at her charmingly, making her blush.

"I am honored to meet you, my lady. Shall we go and help your friend now?"

For a moment it seemed that she had forgotten her friend completely.

"Yes… Yes, of course."

She led him down the hill and he saw a young brunette lying on the ground. Half of her face was covered with scars, but other than that, she was a pretty little thing.

"My lady," he greeted her. "I am here to help you, are you hurt?"

She looked at him cautiously, but Sansa's presence seemed to calm her. The redhead knelt next to her friend and took her hand.

"My…my ankle hurt," the brunette said.

"Which ankle?"

"The left one."

Jaime nodded and got down on one knee.

"May I take a look?"

Again she seemed cautious, but she nodded.

"Alright."

Carefully he examined her ankle, pressing it lightly with his thumbs.

"It's not broken," he said. "But it's swollen; we better get you to Winterfell. May I carry you?"

"I… I think I can walk…" She tried to stand up, but she would have fallen if he wouldn't have caught her. His touch made her tense immediately.

"Shireen, it's alright," Sansa said. "He is Ser Jaime Lannister, he will help you."

Shireen? Jaime raised an eyebrow as he realized who she was. This was "the hideous" Shireen Baratheon? She didn't look so bad to him.

"Alright, I will lift you up now," he stated before scooping her up. She was still tense, but he felt her body relaxing slightly as he started to carry her towards the gates of Winterfell.

"By the way," he said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Shireen."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

Shireen was more than embarrassed as Jaime Lannister carried her up the hill. She had never been this close to a man before and she felt very uncomfortable. Her stiff body was pressed against his chest and her hands were linked around his neck. She was trying her best to stay calm, but her nervousness made her breath faster than normally.

"I…I apologize, my lord," she finally managed to say. "I must be heavy…"

"No, not at all, my lady," he cut in. "This is my pleasure, I can assure you."

His tone of voice was smooth and she caught a glimpse of his smiling face. Quickly she looked away, his gaze made her even more uncomfortable. She was grateful that Sansa was walking beside them.

"We are both very grateful for your help, Ser Jaime," Sansa said.

"My pleasure, my lady."

Shireen noticed that Sansa's cheeks were flushed and she kept touching her hair. Ser Jaime was a handsome man and Sansa seemed somewhat envious of Shireen right now, but she found the whole situation nothing but embarrassing. She had been riding with Sansa, Bran and two Lord Eddard's solders, but they had got separated. Shireen's and Bran's horses had bolted after seeing a snake and she hadn't been able to calm her horse down. She really hoped that Bran was alright; his horse had galloped to the opposite direction.

The only thing Shireen wanted right now was to get to her chamber as unnoticed as possible. Unfortunately there was no chance for that. There was a carriage in the middle of the courtyard; Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn were just greeting their guest. Shireen had never met either one of her uncles, but she assumed that the man with them was Renly Baratheon. Lord Eddard's eyes widened when he noticed his daughter, Jaime and Shireen.

"Sansa?"

"Shireen fell off her horse," Sansa explained quickly. "Ser Jaime helped us."

Shireen was too embarrassed to look at anyone, but Ser Jaime seemed to be enjoying this.

"Lord Eddard, Lady Catelyn. It's a pleasure to meet you again."

"Shireen!" Jon's voice said. He and Lord Robb had just arrived at the courtyard, Jon marched towards Ser Jaime.

"Ah, you are the lucky man you will wed this lovely lady," Ser Jaime said smiling.

"Shireen, are you alright, what happened?" Jon asked, ignoring Ser Jaime.

"Yes, I… I fell off my horse. My ankle…"

"Let's get you inside," Jon said firmly. "I will take her."

It was more like an order than a statement. Ser Jaime seemed amused.

"Of course."

Carefully he handed Shireen over to Jon who wrapped his arms possessively around her.

"Bran…" Shireen said. "I need to…"

"I will explain everything to father," Sansa assured.

Shireen nodded and looked at Ser Jaime.

"Thank you for your help, my lord."

"As I said, the pleasure was all mine," he replied smiling.

Shireen felt Jon tensing; he gave Ser Jaime a very unfriendly glare. She felt even more embarrassed for upsetting him.

"Jon?" Lord Eddard said.

"I will take Lady Shireen to her chamber," he replied tensely.

"Alright, I will send Maester Luwin there."

"Thank you."

They were both quiet as he carried her inside; she could feel that he was still tense.

"Jon?" she said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I… I'm sorry."

"What? Why?"

"I can see that you are upset and I'm sorry for bringing you shame."

He tensed even more and stopped.

"Look at me," he said.

Insecurely she obeyed.

"You didn't bring me shame," he said firmly. "I was worried about you."

She smiled.

"You were?"

"Yes."

He didn't say anything else, he continued carrying her. She rested her head against his chest, feeling a little better. Her ankle hurt, but that was the least of her worries right now. Hopefully Bran hadn't hurt himself. She had got to know him a little during the last few days and he was a sweet boy. So was Rickon. Arya was a wild and determined girl, nothing like her sister. She had asked Shireen about her scars, not rudely, but not very tactfully either, only curiously. Shireen hadn't minded answering her questions, unlike many other people, Arya hadn't been mocking.

Sansa had been kind to Shireen and her father had wanted her to spend some time with the older Stark daughter. Unlike Shireen, Sansa was a proper lady. Of course Shireen also knew the basic things, but the world of embroideries, flower arrangements, music, fancy gowns and coiffures was foreign to her, she had been taught very different things. She had always loved reading and her father had made sure that she read all the books he thought were useful. Her mother on the other hand had never taught her anything. Jon pushed the door to her bedchamber open and carried her inside.

"Alright…" he murmured as he carefully laid her down on the bed. "Do you think that your ankle is broken?"

She shook her head.

"No, Ser Jaime examined it and he…"

She didn't finish her sentence as she saw Jon's eyebrows furrowing.

"He…examined it?"

A flush was rising in Shireen's cheeks.

"I… I wouldn't have agreed to that if Sansa wouldn't have been there."

Jon pressed his lips together.

"Did he try…"

"No," she assured quickly. "He didn't do anything inappropriate."

Jon seemed gloomy.

"Alright, good… That's good."

Shireen was about to say something when the door opened and Stannis marched in.

"Shireen, are you alright?"

"Yes, father, I just hurt my ankle."

Stannis observed her with a worried expression.

"Is it broken?"

"No, it's not. Have you heard anything about Bran?"

"Yes, he and Lord Eddard's men just arrived."

"Is he alright?"

"Yes, he seemed to be fine."

Shireen was nothing but relieved until her father continued.

"I intent to demand Lord Eddard to punish those men for failing to protect you…"

"No," Shireen said quickly. "Father, please, that won't be necessary, it wasn't their fault. My horse bolted."

Stannis frowned.

"Shireen…"

"My lord," Jon cut in. "Lady Shireen has have a rough day, perhaps we could continue this later?"

Stannis looked at Jon and crossed his arms.

"Tell me, Lord Jon, what would you do to those men?"

Shireen looked at Jon pleadingly.

"Personally I would want to punish them, but I would respect Lady Shireen's wishes."

Shireen smiled at him gratefully and looked at her father.

"Please, father."

Stannis sighed.

"My daughter has a kind heart, sometimes too kind. Fine, I won't ask them to be punished."

"Thank you, father."

Shireen felt that she was finally able to relax a little.

"Is there anything you need?" Jon asked.

"No, thank you."

Shireen would have wanted to talk to him and make sure that everything was alright, but she couldn't do that in front of her father. Was Jon angry at her? Something seemed to be bothering him, but she wasn't sure what that something was.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, here's finally the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Part 10**

"My dear niece," Renly said, giving his brother's daughter a polite smile. He felt slightly better after taking a bath and changing his clothes, but the journey had still been way too long and uncomfortable for his liking. Not to mention he disliked pretty much everything in the north. The cold, the wilderness, meeting his brother…

Well, a duty was a duty. Hopefully Robert would remember his efforts. Stannis most certainly wasn't pleased to see Renly. As usual, Stannis kept his face stony, but the cold anger in his eyes was easy to see. Sometimes Renly had wondered if Stannis even knew how to smile. At least his daughter did. Fortunately for her, it seemed that she hadn't inherited her father's dour and gloomy nature. In fact, she seemed like a sweet girl. Perhaps her face wasn't flawless, but Renly didn't find her unpleasant to look at.

"I am honored to meet you, uncle," she said and curtsied.

Renly smiled and kissed her hand.

"The honor is all mine. The king also sends his regards and his apologies for not being here himself. He would have enjoyed seeing his beloved niece getting married."

Stannis' eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything, he had barely even greeted Renly.

"And how is your leg?" Renly continued. "Ser Jaime told me that you fell off your horse."

A faint flush was rising in the girl's cheeks. If Renly wasn't mistaken, she was embarrassed. Stannis on the other hand crossed his arms; Renly suspected that he didn't appreciate Jaime Lannister assisting his daughter.

"Yes, I did. Thankfully nothing was broken."

Renly smiled.

"I am more than happy to hear that. Your father won't have to carry you down the aisle then."

"Thankfully not."

Renly glanced at Ned Stark who was standing next to Stannis. They were in Lord Stark's study; Renly had wanted to meet his niece before the dinner.

"Is your son somewhere near?" Renly asked. "I would like to meet him as well."

"Yes, of course," Lord Stark replied and left the room.

Renly was just about to continue the conversation with his niece when Stannis finally spoke.

"How is Robert?" he inquired coolly.

"The king is well," Renly replied.

"How nice. And you, brother? Still doing his bidding I see."

Renly smiled.

"As we all. He is our king."

"That he is."

It was clear that Stannis wasn't planning to forget this. Renly wasn't a father himself, but some part of him could understand Stannis' bitterness. This was the life of his only child. Hopefully Robert hadn't gone too far this time. Humiliating his own brother like this…

"Lord Renly," Lord Stark's voice said.

Renly turned to the door and saw the young man he had seen in the courtyard earlier.

"My son, Lord Jon," Lord Stark introduced him. The young man bowed.

"My lord."

"Pleasure to meet you," Renly replied, observing the young man. He was indeed a very pleasant to look at. Renly himself had always preferred the company of his own gender, but he did understand enough about the attraction between men and women to see that Shireen wasn't the kind of woman most men were attracted to. Perhaps Robert had been at least partly right when he had said that both Shireen and Lord Jon would benefit for this marriage. That was of course if the boy would treat her well.

"Shireen," the boy said. "How is your ankle?"

She smiled at him.

"Better, thank you."

"Are you sure that you should stand? Would you like to sit down?"

The boy walked over to her, completely forgetting Renly. Normally he would have been insulted, but now he just looked at his niece and her betrothed. The boy cared about her; there was no doubt about that. Renly glanced at Stannis who was also looking at the young couple. Perhaps this wasn't the man Stannis would have chosen for his daughter, but Robert could have made a worse decision.

Then there was of course the wedding gift. Even Renly didn't know what it was and Robert had told him not to give it before the wedding. Hopefully it wasn't something that would cause more bad blood. Knowing Robert, it could be anything.

* * *

When Jon had seen some other man holding Shireen, he had felt something very unpleasant. Some part of him had wanted to attack that man, especially when he had heard who the man was. Jaime Lannister, "the handsomest man in all seven kingdoms". More like the most arrogant man in all seven kingdoms. Yet almost all the women in the dining hall, including Sansa, kept glancing at him.

Jon had to admit that he was starting to understand Theon's annoyance. What was so special about this man? Nothing. There was absolutely nothing special about Jaime Lannister. The man who had touched Shireen. Examined her ankle. Carried her to Winterfell. Jon didn't like Jaime Lannister at all. He just couldn't understand why he was feeling like this.

Why did he feel the urge to lift Shireen up and carry her out of here? He had never felt like this before and it was confusing. Shireen was sitting next to him at the table, she was talking with Arya. Thankfully she wasn't one of the women who stared at Jaime Lannister. He had greeted her and smiled arrogantly when she and Jon had arrived at the dining hall. Jon had wanted to wipe that smile off his face and he had wrapped his arm around Shireen's waist a little tighter than before.

Jealousy. He hadn't really felt it before. He remembered his father telling how much he had hated it when other men had stared at Catelyn. He had forbid the bedding on their wedding night; he had said that many men would have lost their fingers or even hands otherwise. Jon couldn't have really imagined his father being possessive, but he was starting to understand him a little better now.

There would most certainly be no bedding on Jon and Shireen's wedding night, just the thought made Jon furious. Their wedding night… Once again Jon felt the nasty insecurity. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Shireen, at least any more than he had to. What he really wanted was to somehow make it pleasant for her. The problem was the he didn't know how.

He needed some advice, but he most certainly wasn't going to ask his father. That would have been too embarrassing. Once again he considered asking Ros few questions, but the last thing he wanted was anyone to see him going to a brothel. Who could he ask then? Bitterly he glanced at Jaime Lannister. He had probably bedded hundreds of women. The handsomest man in seven kingdoms…. Some people just had an easy life. Jon couldn't deny that some part of him envied Jaime Lannister.


End file.
